I've spent much of my life outside. Over the years that has taken many forms, including guiding, teaching, coaching, photography, road travel, outdoor education, adventure sports, and simply exploring.

I've never been particularly good at taking relaxing vacations. Give me a long weekend, a weather forecast, and a full tank of gas, and there's a good chance I'll end up chasing fog somewhere in the Smoky Mountains, sleeping in the back of my Toyota Sienna, and setting an alarm that most reasonable people would ignore.

When people hear the phrase "simple living," they often imagine dramatic life changes. Selling everything you own. Moving off-grid. Quitting your job. Starting over somewhere remote.

Some of my favorite photographs have happened less than fifty feet from my vehicle. Not in national parks. Not at famous overlooks. Not at locations I'd spent weeks researching beforehand.

I've always been a morning person, which is probably fortunate considering how much time I spend chasing sunrises across Tennessee, the Smoky Mountains, Western North Carolina, and anywhere else the forecast looks promising.

One of the questions I get asked most often is what gear I bring on photography trips, road adventures, and vehicle-based travel. The answer has changed quite a bit over the years.

Some of my favorite photographs begin long before I ever leave home. People often think landscape photography is mostly about being in the right place at the right time, and there's certainly some truth to that.

One of the biggest myths in outdoor travel is that adventure requires a custom van, expensive gear, or years of preparation. Spend a few minutes on social media and it's easy to believe that everyone is living from a beautifully built Sprinter parked beside an alpine lake somewhere.

If you've spent any time researching van life, road travel, or vehicle-based adventure, you've probably noticed that Sprinter vans seem to dominate the conversation.